Like every other night in Los Angeles, the temperature was comfortable at a summertime low of ninety degrees. I was spending the night alone again; a queen sized bed seems rather empty when yourself and an oversized pillow are the only occupants. Jake, my rottweiler, had taken to sleeping by the back door lately, where the cool draft lulled him to sleep.
I fidgeted, sweaty and uncomfortable. I couldn't seem to get any rest the past few days, quite possibly because of the warmth. I crawled out of my shirt and panties and dropped them off the edge of the bed. I lay nude, still overwhelmed by the excessive California heat.
A flamenco lovesong was suddenly audible; it must have been the neighbors upstairs again; the three silly-looking elderly Mexican men. The volume grew, and I considered asking them to turn it down, but laziness overcame me. Besides, the music seemed to fill the emptiness that I'd been feeling for so many nights...
I was hardly even aware of my sight growing dim and my eyelids growing heavy, or that the unbareable west coast heat had become almost soothing. I had relaxed and was on the verge of slumber when I heard rhythmic footsteps within the room. I opened my eyes and looked around, frightened.
Figures of smoke took human shapes, one of a woman dancing in time with the rich, melodic energies that a young man plucked out on a classical guitar strung with steel. My companions gradually solidified until they nearly appeared opaque.
The girl was young, she seemed barely an adult, but her curves were far too pronounced for her to be a child. Her flesh was delicate and tan; a wilted red flower accented the hair that was ebony strands of silk flowing with her steps. A floral dress clung to her hips and breasts, and its layers of fabric danced around her ankles elegantly.
The girl seemed to have grown weary of my attention, and directed my gaze towards her instrumentalist. He was a bit darker than she, and his hair was accented with a few grey strands. He smiled as he played - a warm, soft smile that seemed to draw me in...